Olympic track and field trials: How to watch, top athletes, who makes the team
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The best track and field athletes in the country will meet June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon to see who will represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and you can see it all unfold on the NBC network of channels.
From historic Hayward Field, USA Track and Field will build its team to send to Paris to bring as many medals stateside as possible when the Summer Olympics begin July 26. If you don't have a ticket, NBC, USA and Peacock have you covered with all the coverage.
Coverage on June 21 begins on Peacock at noon Central and continues until 3 p.m., then picks up again at 5:30 p.m. until the opening day ends at 10 p.m. Primetime coverage on NBC runs from 8-10 p.m. and 5:30-8 p.m. on USA. Coverage on USA resumes June 27-28 while NBC has primetime coverage every night of the trials. Peacock's coverage of the trials includes both the afternoon and evening sessions. Check the full broadcast schedule link above for details. A webcast is also available at USATF.TV.
The first final of the trials is the women's 10,000-meter run at 9:27 p.m. Friday, followed by four sets of finals on Saturday including the men's shot put that will more than likely feature former Texas Longhorns star and two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser. That final is set to begin at 7:40 p.m.
The women's 100-meter final is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. Saturday. Dallas native Sha'Carri Richardson enters the trials with the top seed time of 10.65 seconds. In the women's 200, former Longhorn Gabby Thomas enters with the top time of 21.60 with Richardson seeded No. 3 at 21.92. Texas' Kenondra Davis is also in the field.
The men's 100 final is slated for 8:49 p.m., Sunday. Taylor's Fred Kerley Jr. is seeded No. 7 with a time of 9.96. Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles are the favorites going into the trials with qualifying times of 9.83. Kerley is also seeded No. 5 in the men's 200 with a time of 19.86 with Lyles at the top with a 19.47. Nolton Shelvin and John Rutledge Jr., both Longhorns, are in the field while Texas State's Dominic Yancy is also in.
Who qualifies for the US Olympic team?
Simply put, if a time or mark meets the Olympic qualifying standard within the qualifying period, that athlete is headed to Paris. That's the only guaranteed way an athlete can earn a spot on the team. For most events, the qualifying period runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, which happens to be the final day of the trials.
Generally speaking, a top-three finish at the trials means an athlete has a pretty good shot at making the team. It gets a little more tricky if the time doesn't meet the Olympic standard, but there's also a world-ranking exception that grants qualification.
In all, 905 men and 905 women from across the world will compete in track and field for gold in Paris.
Is there prize money at the trials?
There sure is. The top eight finishers take home cash while the top four finishers earn medals. The bronze medals go to the third and fourth-place finishers at the trials. The winner of each event gets $11,000 with $8,800 for second and $6,600 for third. A full breakdown of the prize money is available on the USA Track and Field website.
Some athletes are also granted $2,100 to help offset travel expenses depending on their standing during the qualifying window or if they're defending outdoor champions.